A new analysis from Amazon Ads India outlines five major advertising trends that are expected to reshape how brands connect with Indian consumers in 2026. The trends underscore a pivot toward AI-driven efficiency, personalised engagement and stronger customer trust, signalling a shift from traditional broadcast messaging to more relevant, dialogue-oriented brand experiences.

The insights, highlighted in a blog post by Priyanka Khaneja-Gandhi, Head, Marketing and Creative Solutions at Amazon Ads India and published on the Amazon India website on February 13, highlight how technological and strategic shifts will influence advertising strategies across sectors next year.

According to Khaneja-Gandhi, the advertising landscape is at an “inflection point” where brands that listen to real-time consumer signals are better positioned than those relying on broad, generic messaging.

According to Khaneja-Gandhi, customer insight is becoming a core creative catalyst. She notes that traditional creative processes—often developed in isolation and validated after production — are giving way to approaches where audience intelligence actively shapes creative work from the outset. This shift, she says, allows brands to pair intuition with first-party shopping and streaming data, leading to more emotionally resonant campaigns.

A second trend emphasised is the democratisation of creative excellence through AI. She points out that tools powered by agentic AI are dramatically reducing production timelines and lowering the barrier to sophisticated creative work. Small businesses, in particular, stand to benefit as AI enables faster iterations, greater operational flexibility and scaled campaign deployment with reduced budgets and resources.

The third force Khaneja-Gandhi identifies is machine-speed performance optimisation. She writes that AI’s most significant impact is behind the scenes — processing complex audience data, optimising campaigns and delivering measurable outcomes efficiently. Rather than replacing human strategists, these systems augment human judgement by handling routine optimisation tasks at scale.

Khaneja-Gandhi’s analysis also highlights the evolving role of streaming television in performance advertising. With India’s streaming audience exceeding 600 million and connected TV user numbers rising sharply, she notes, brands can no longer view TV solely as an awareness medium.

Interactive streaming formats now enable direct consumer response metrics such as sales and bookings, extending the advertising value of video content.

The final trend focuses on the convergence of contextual advertising and creator authenticity. Khaneja-Gandhi predicts that contextual relevance — such as ads aligned with specific on-screen moments —will combine with creator-led storytelling to deepen consumer trust. Creators, she asserts, are moving beyond content partners to become strategic voices that help brands connect authentically with communities.

Across these trends, the Amazon Ads India head stresses a central theme: technology should amplify human creativity rather than replace it. Brands that can balance AI-driven efficiency with compelling storytelling and genuine consumer engagement are positioned to thrive in 2026, earning lasting relationships rather than mere attention.